COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Anthony Ratliff drove into a pothole on Wednesday evening on South Hamilton Road in Columbus, he said his tire deflated immediately.
“It was instantly flat. It was really bad,” Ratliff said.
When he pulled into a lot to assess the damage, he said several other cars followed, also with flat tires from hitting the same pothole.
“I had to call off work today and I had a weekend trip planned and it is just 200 dollars out of my pocket to fix the wheel,” Ratliff said.
On U.S. Route 33 Thursday morning, there was a major backup after around 10 cars got flat tires from hitting potholes, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
More pothole pop-ups can be expected when the weather warms up after a cold spell, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“This is ideal weather for potholes to start forming. Potholes are the result of natural forces, the freeze and thaw cycle, working on the pavement,” said Matt McGuire of ODOT District 6.
ODOT and the City of Columbus say they have crews out working to address the issues.
If you hit a pothole and your car becomes damaged or gets a flat tire, there are several steps to take to remedy the situation.
Anyone can report problematic potholes in Columbus by visiting the city of Columbus's 311 page on their website or by calling 311.
If the road is in the jurisdiction of ODOT, you can report the pothole on their website.
The city and ODOT also allow drivers to submit a claim to cover the repair costs of hitting a pothole.
If you're looking to file a claim, ODOT provides step-by-step instructions on how to begin the process.
In Columbus, the Department of Public Services said it takes about 48 to 72 hours to fix a pothole after receiving a report.
“We have investigators roaming the city throughout the day whose sole purpose is to look for them, when they see them call them in to get a crew out there to fix the roadway so we have been really busy trying to manage and do that work,” said Charles Newman, with the Department of Public Services.
The city and ODOT said it is helpful if people report potholes when they see them.